Ice skate and adjustment means therefor



C. WEISMAN Sept. 5, 1967 ICE SKATE AND ADJUSTMENT MEANS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1964 INVENTOR. CHARLES WE/SMAN ATTORNE).

2 Sheets-Sheet III'IIIIIIII FIG.7

INVENTOR. CHARL ES WE/SMAN imwua A. \a

ATTORIVE).

Sept. 5, 1967 c. WEISMAN ICE SKATE AND ADJUSTMENT MEANS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 19, 1964 FIG.6

FIGS

FIG. IO

United States Patent 3,339,935 ICE SKATE AND ADJUSTMENT MEANS THEREFOR Charles Weisman, 125 N. Montgomery St., Valley Stream, N.Y. 11580 Filed Oct. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 404,849 15 Claims. (Cl. 280--11.12)

This invention relate-s generally to ice skates and more particularly to improved means for externally adjusting the position of the skate blade relative to the ice skate shoe.

My prior U.S. Letters Patent No. 2,230,553 entitled, Ice Skate, discloses means for laterally adjusting the blade of an ice skate relative to the shoe. The present invention is an improvement thereover in several respects. The weight of the adjustment means has been reduced; greater locking area and hence, greater locking ability between the shoe plate and the stanchion supported blade is available and a more rigid structure is provided. In addition, the present invention provides means to offset or angularly position the longitudinal axis of the blade with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shoe plate.

As a corollary to the aforementioned advantages, the improved adjustment means lends itself better to automated manufacturing techniques. The lower production costs can be directly reflected in a lower unit selling price.

The importance of adjustability in an ice skate is well known to the professional as well as to the avid amateur. However, what is not as well known is the fact that every skater, even a rank beginner, can obtain substantial benefits by adjusting the position of the blade to his own particular requirements. It is of course understood that the shoe of the skate must be properly sized. In conjunction with that fitting the blade position must be made variable laterally and in some cases angularly with respect to the shoe in order to accommodate the different physical characteristics of each user.

Present day, mass produced skates have the blade posi-- tioned substantially parallel to and along the longitudinal centerline of the shoe. In any event, all the skates are made the same way without regard to the requirements of the individual user. This location, however, does not take into consideration the different physical characteristics of each user. For example, two people wearing size 8 /2 shoes can have great differences in their height and weight distribution. Consequently fixed position blades represent an educated guess and a compromise as. to their proper position.

The novice will learn to skate better and more quickly when the blades are adjusted in location and position to give him the best balance. He rapidly develops needed confidence and at the same time reduces the chance of muscle strain or extensive injury. These benefits are not available with the fixed blade type of ice skates on the market today.

Both the professional and the advanced nonprofessional may use the construction of the present invention in his ice skates and derive increased skating capabilities therefrom. Without the addition of any appreciable weight, ice skates may now be easily adjusted to compensate for the different skating conditions found outdoors and indoors.

In the art prior to my US. Patent No. 2,230,533, dated Feb. 4, 1941, it was necessary for the serious skater to remove the sole and heel plates from the shoe and rerivet them in another position that he thinks will permit him to perform better. If the new position is wrong, the process is repeated and if done too many times, the shoe becomes useless because of the excessive riveting to the sole thereof.

Moreover, this empirical type of adjustment is time consuming and the skater is very likely to settle for an adjustment that falls short of the best location in order to continue on the ice.

In practice, the required deviation or adjustment of the blade from its original position may be as little as &2"- i However, even this small change is just enough to produce improved skating performances. Since the deviation varies from individual to individual, and also from outdoor to indoor skating by the same person, it stands to reason that mass produced ice skates cannot adequately serve the purpose. In effect, the present invention makes a mass produced skate into a customized skate tailored to the particular needs of each individual. The present invention also takes into account and provides means to compensate for the changing needs of each individual.

The instant invention represents an improvement over the available prior art. Greater holding power, more rigidity and stability and somewhat simpler, more positive adjustment means are provided. The blade may also be angularly positioned with respect to the shoe. In addition, less costly manufacturing techniques may be employed thus making the improvement in the skate available within a wide range of price levels.

The structure of the present invention comprises a pair of parallel guide members integral with the underside of the shoe plate and transversely positioned with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof. V-shaped notches or ways are formed along each long side of each guide member. The ways slidably mate with similarly formed and positioned portions on the top of the fore and aft support stanchions. In addition, the tops of the stanchions are slotted so that a screw at right angles to the slot can clamp the mating components together after the blade has been moved.

It should be noted at this time that the concept of the present invention is equally well adapted for use with both a speed blade and a figure blade. Thus a wide range of skaters will benefit. It should also be noted that in addition to an adjustment laterally or transversely to the longitudinal axis of the shoe, one embodiment of the invention permits vertical adjustment of the shoe with respect to the blade. This adjustment capability permits the individual preferences of the users to be accommodated.

Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide improved means to laterally adjust the position of an ice skate blade relative to the shoe.

It is another object to provide an ice skate blade that may readily be adjusted externally.

An additional object is to provide ice skate blade adjusting means that has greater holding power.

A further object is to provide ice skate bladeadjusting means that assures greater stability and rigidity between the blade and the shoe.

A still further object is to provide ice skate blade adjusting means that is not costly to manufacture.

An even further object is to provide ice skate blade adjusting means, the design and construction of which lends itself to automated production techniques.

Another object is to provide an ice skate with blade adjusting means that are simple to use and which do not deleteriously effect the ice skate shoe.

An additional object is to provide lightweight ice skate blade adjustment means.

A further object is to provide improved means to adjust the height of the ice skate shoe with respect to the blade.

An additional object is to provide locking means for the blade to hold it in place after adjustments are made in either vertical or horizontal planes or in both planes.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which forms an integral part thereof.

In the various figures of the drawing, like reference characters designate like parts.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view illustrating an ice skate employing the improved adjustment means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary exploded view, partly in section, of the mating clamp members of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, exploded view in sectional elevation of an alternative embodiment of the clamping means;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, exploded view in sectional elevation of still another alternative embodiment of the clamping means;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation view of toe plate clamping means for a figure blade;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevation view of the toe plate clamping means for a speed blade;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevational view of an alternative toe plate clamping embodiment;

FIG. 11 is an underside view of the improved blade adjustment means schematically showing in exaggerated form the range of angular adjustment; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating the forces exerted by the channel member on the guide means,

Referring now to the drawing, an ice skate 20 is shown in FIG. 1. The skate comprises a shoe 22, a blade 24, a toe support member 26, as well as fore and aft support stanchions 28 and 30, respectively. Plate 32 is secured to the underside of the shoe by any suitable means such as riveting and may be provided with a plurality of lightening holes to reduce weight. As shown in the drawing, stanchions 28 and 30 spacedly support the shoe above the blade with fore and aft guide members 34 and 36, respectively, cooperating therewith in a manner to be hereinafter described.

FIG. 2-FIG. 5 illustrate the principles of the present invention as applied to the construction of one particular embodiment. For the purposes of this discussion, only stanchion 28 will be discussed and with relationship to a speed blade. It should be understood, however, that in each embodiment, the fore and aft stanchions are identical with perhaps the exception of their heights and, except for minor variations to be described more fully hereinafter, a figure blade may be substituted for the speed blade shown.

Guide member 34 is secured to the bottom surface of sole plate 32 by means of flush rivets 38 and is positioned substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shoe. Parallel way-s 40 and 42, in the form of V-shaped notches, are accurately formed in the guide member along the full length of the opposed, transversely positioned sides thereof. The guide is fabricated from hardened and ground steel and is also provided with a downwardly facing base surface 44.

Similarly, the stanchion 28 is provided with a channel 46 having V-shaped grooves 48 and 50, adapted to mate with ways 40 and 42, respectively. The stanchion grooves are dimensioned such that they slide easily along guide member 34 with only a small amount of play therebetween. The bottom surface of channel 46 upon which rests base surface 44 of the guide member, is slotted at 52 in a plane parallel to channel 46. In effect, slot 52 separates the top portion of stanchion into two halves. In a plane transverse to the slot, one side near the top of the stanchion is provided with a tapped hole 54 and the other side is provided with a coaxial clearance hole 56 and a counterbore for clamping screw 58. The bottom end of stanchion 28 is slotted at 60 (FIG. 3), in a plane perpendicular to channel 46, and is passed through aperture 62 formed at the top of backbone 64. Slot 60 engages the top of blade 24 to prevent relative rotation of the two parts. A silver solder bead 66 is then applied.

Tightening of screw 58 causes slot 52 to close down thus clamping the grooves 48 and 50 in channel portion 46 about the ways 40 and 42 of guide member 34. It will be seen that the lateral adjustment of the blade with the shoe is very simple and effective. A single screw for each stanchion is loosened, the blade is moved slightly and the screws retightened. It should be noted that the V-shaped cross section of the channel and ways combination provides a large bearing surface as does the bottom surface of the guide member against the channel. The clamping action is quite positive and if desired, a certain amount of play can intentionally be introduced between the mating parts. This permits the somewhat exaggerated skewed position shown schematically in FIG. 11 to be taken. It has been found that a skewed position of the blade may be set if clearance hole 56 is elongated and in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, if the counterbored seat for the bolt head is elongated. The elongation of the holes, in combination with the play between the mating parts, permits the stanchions to be slightly twisted about their vertical axes, particularly if the stanchions are made by forging as is contemplated. To meet the requirements of a particular individual who may have an orthopedic defect, or to meet a particular skating condition, it is desirable to position the blade at some angle to the longitudinal axis of the shoe.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention in an exploded, sectional elevation view. In this embodiment the guide member 34' is formed by depressing the sole plate 32' and by securing an elongated tetragonal member 70 thereto by means of flush rivets 72. The combination is similar in principle to guide member 34 but is useful in reducing the total weight of the adjusting means. Further weight reductions are obtained by using a hollow stanchion 74. The top end of the stanchion is flared out slightly to receive and positively seat a slightly elongated channel member 76 having V-shaped grooves 78 and 80 formed therein. If the assembled condition, grooves 78 and 80 slidingly mate with the elongated V- shaped ways formed by the combined, angularly opposed faces of the sole plate depression and the tetragonal member 70. At this time, the bottom face of member 70 would be slidingly supported by bottom face 82 of channel member 76.

Slot 84 is formed continguously in both channel member 76 and the upper, opposed sides of hollow stanchion 74. Prior to welding or brazing channel member 76 in place, a nut 85 is secured to the inside wall of the stanchion opposite to a depression 86 having an aperture 88 therethrough. Thus a screw (not shown) may be employed to clamp the channel member about the tetragonally shaped member 70 and the depression in plate 32' once the proper setting has been achieved. The lower end of hollow stanchion 74 is bifurcated and secured by silver soldering about the backbone of the blade.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 provides vertical as well as lateral adjustment. Guide member 90 is similar to that shown in FIGS. 25 and is secured to the underside of the sole plate in similar manner by n'vets (not shown). Stanchion 94 is hollow, as in the embodiment of FIG. 6, but somewhat shorter and without the flared top end. Instead, internal threads 96 are provided at the upper end. A plug, generally denoted as 98, joins the stanchion to the sole plate to permit vertical as well as lateral adjustment.

Plug 98 is provided with external threads 100 at its lower end, the threads being adapted to mate with threads 96 in the stanchion. For purposes to be described later, a reduced diameter portion 102 and a slot 104 extending upwardly from the lowermost surface to substantially the plane of diameter 102 are also provided in the plug. The upper end of plug member 98 has a configuration similar to the top portion of the stanchion shown in FIGS. 2-5 and functions in the same manner. Channel 105, having V-shaped grooves 106 and 108, slidingly receives guide member 90. Slot 110 is compressed by the axial movement of transverse screw 112 to clamp the plug to the guide member when the proper setting has been obtained.

The important and novel feature of the FIG. 7 embodiment is the provision of at least two adjustment ranges, one horizontally in a direction transverse the length of the shoe and the second, vertically in the plane of the stanchion axis. The blade may also be skewed to the shoe as explained hereinabove. It is well known that for any number of reasons some skaters, particularly professionals or those more knowledgable in the art, prefer to skate more closely to the ice than other skaters. A change in height of as little as A" may very easily spell the difference between comfort and discomfort. For two otherwise evenly matched, competing skaters, a change in height could conceivably be the difference between Winning and losing.

The change in height or vertical adjustment is achieved by first backing off the screws in each stanchion to unlock the clamping members. The shoe, including the sole plate and the guide members, may then be removed. Plug 98 is then threaded up or down to the proper height, the disassembly procedure is reversed to replace the shoe sole plate and guide member, and then the clamp is locked. By tightening clamp screw 112, the bifurcated threaded legs at the lower end of plug 98 are caused to bow outwardly with the center point a of reduced diameter 102 acting as the pivot point. This action locks threads 96 and 100 together and also clamps the grooves about the ways. Thus, by tightening one screw, the adjustment made in two mutually perpendicular planes is automatically secured.

Since the entire blade moves transversely to the shoe and hence to the sole plate rigidly attached thereto, it follows that the toe stanchion must also be transversely movable and have means to reclamp it to the sole plate in the proper position. FIGS. 8-10 illustrate alternative methods for retaining the toe stanchion in its new position. Referring now to FIG. 8, it will be seen that figure blade 120 is illustrated. The front end of the blade is curved upwardly and rearwardly and a slot 122 is formed in the end thereof. A portion of the blade is flattened out to accommodate a locking screw 124. Between the screw and the rearwardly facing end of the blade, the slot is depressed to form a V-shaped notch transverse to the plane of the blade. A similarly shaped rib 126 is formed in the forward end of the sole plate. When the sole plate rib is in the blade notch, the blade may be easily moved transversely of the shoe. At the desired setting, the screw clamps the parts together.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is intended for use with speed blade 130. Toe stanchion 132 in this case may be hollow with a bifurcated bottom end 134 wrapped around the backbone of blade 130 and silver soldered thereto. Screw 136, notch 138 in the rearwardly extending upper end of the toe stanchion, and rib 140 in the forward end of the sole plate, cooperate in the same manner as described in connection with FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 illustrates still another alternative embodiment of means to slidably move the toe stanchion transversely to the shoe and sole plate. U-shaped channel 150 serves as the toe stanchion and is secured at its lower end to the backbone of the blade by welding or brazing. The upper end 152 is turned over and a tapped hole is formed therein to accommodate screw 154. A spaced lip 156 is secured beneath end 152 so that the front edge of the sole plate may be gripped therebetween and clamped by screw 154 in the proper position. The toe stanchion and the blade are thereby rendered adjustable with respect 6 to the sole plate and the screw that provides this feature is concealed.

A brief summary of the novel, inventive features generic to all of the embodiments of the invention may be had by reference to FIG. 12 wherein the forces generated between the channel member and the guide means are schematically shown. By tightening the clamping screw, the channel member exerts compressive forces on the ways of the guide means as illustrated by the arrows labeled 0,. Thus greater bearing faces are provided by the instant structure than was heretofore available by the conventional dovetail construction of the prior art. Further, the prior art had a tendency to shake because the opposed horizontal faces of the guide means were of unequal width. Consequently, this reduction of rigidity was passed on to the skater and in addition, the likelihood of metal fatigue and fracture at the narrowest part of the stanchion was increased. By way of contrast, the present invention provides broad, equally sized bases on both the upper and lower faces of the guide means. As a result, the rocking tendency of the prior art is eliminated and the possibility of fracturing the stanchion is materially reduced.

In all of the embodiments hereinabove described and illustrated by the drawing, conventional and well known manufacturing techniques are used. By way of example, the hollow stanchions are fabricated from oif-the-shelf diameter steel tubing. The inside thread on the top of the stanchion and the external threads on the bottom of the plug are W N.F. Of course Where solid stanchions are used, the material is /5" diameter rod. The clamping screw in each instance may be a 10-32 cap head for use with an Allen socket wrench. The mating ways and grooves or double dovetail are formed at an angle between 45 and -60. It will be seen by the foregoing description that the cost of manufacture can be held to an irreducible minimum. All the parts may be standardized and may be made readily interchangeable and replaceable.

To assure that the blade is rigidly held and imparts a sturdy feeling to the foot, the mating surfaces of the guide members and the channels may be knurled. In a very simple device, a high strength-to-Weight ratio is achieved. Lateral and/ or skewed adjustment capability is provided in all of the embodiments and in one, the height of the shoe from the ice is variable. In the latter, novel means are provided to simultaneously lock both adjusted settings with a single screw. As a result, different blade settings may easily be made for the different conditions encountered in outdoor and indoor skating. Alignment is accurately made so that the stanchion is vertically and transversely positioned with respect to the blade. The stanchion cannot slide when clamped.

The lateral adjustments of the blade are all made externally and require a tool as simple as an Allen wrench. The double-V construction of mating and sliding parts assures greater accuracy of adjustment, greater stability or rigidity and greater holding power than was available in any of the prior art. With the use of the present invention it is no longer necessary to remove the sole plate and thereby ruin an expensive shoe by repeated riveting. It is of course understood that with the exception of the vertical height adjustments, all other adjustments may be made while the shoe is actually being worn. In this manner successive, slight adjustments may be readily tested under actual skating conditions until the proper position is achieved.

While the fore and aft stanchions have, in each embodiment, been shown circular, it is to be understood that they may be provided with other cross sectional configurations. Where weight is one of the prime considerations, such as in competitive speed skating, lightening holes may be axially formed in each stanchion. To further reduce the total weight, the guide means may be milled out in any area not directly affecting the clamping action. Still another means to reduce weight where the stanchions are solid rather than tubular is to make the stanchions oval in shape or substantialy rectangular with round ends to provide some esthetic appeal. While these expedients may be considered trivial to some skaters, those athletes involved in competition such as the Olympic Games, avidly seek each and every advantage possible. A reduction of but a few ounces of weight is important where races are timed down to the second and where the difference between a first place finish and a second place finish may be but a fraction of a second.

There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiments of the invention presently contemplated and it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ice skate having a shoe plate means affixed to the underside of the shoe and front and rear blade supporting stanchions each provided with a slot in the upper end thereof transverse to the lengthwise axis of the shoe, means to adjust the position of the blade and stanchions with respect to the plate means and the shoe of the ice skate, said adjustment means comprising:

(a) elongated front and rear guide means integral with the underside of the plate means, said guide means lying in a plane transverse to that of the blade and having a pair of opposed intersecting transverse bearing faces each at an angle to the plate means forming a pair of V-shaped ways;

(b) front and rear channel members having elongated and opposed transverse V-shaped bearing faces adapted to slidably mate with the said bearing faces of the said front and rear guide means respectively; and

(c) means to releasably clamp said channel members to said guide means.

2. The adjustment means of claim 1 wherein each of said channel members is separate from the stanchions and wherein means are included to vary the vertical position of said channel members with respect to the stanchions there being further included means to automatically lock said channel member in its vertically adjusted position concurrently with the locking of said channel member bearing faces about said guide means bearing faces.

3. Adjustment means for an ice skate having an elongated blade spacedly disposed below and substantially parallel to the lengthwise axis of the shoe thereof, said adjustment means comprising:

(a) plate means attached to the underside of the shoe;

(b) elongated front and rear guide means integral with the underside of the plate means, said guide means lying in a plane transverse to that of the blade and having a pair of opposed intersecting transverse bearing faces each at an angle to the plate means forming a pair of V-shaped ways;

(c) front and rear channel members having elongated and opposed transverse V-shaped bearing faces adapted to slidably mate with the said bearing faces of the said front and rear guide means respectively; and

(d) means to releasably clamp said channel members to said guide means.

4. The adjustment means of claim 3 wherein each of said channel members is separate from a stanchion attached to said blade and wherein means are included to vary the vertical position of each of said channel mem bers with respect to said stanchion, there being further included means to automatically lock said channel member in its vertically adjusted position concurrently with the locking of said grooves of said channel member about said ways of said guide means.

5. The ice skate of claim 3 including a toe support stanchion wherein the upper end of said toe stanchion and the forwardmost end of said plate means are provided with mating V-shaped transverse grooves and a clamping screw passing through said toe stanchion, said screw being adapted to clamp the groove of said toe stanchion about the groove of said plate means.

6. The ice skate of claim 5 wherein said screw is substantially concealed, the head of said screw being below said plate means.

7. In an ice skate having a shoe adapted to be worn on the skaters foot, plate means secured to the underside of the shoe and a longitudinal blade spaced from and adjustably secured to the plate, improved means to provide adjustments of the blade in a plurality of planes comprising:

(A) elongated front and rear guide means integral with the underside of the plate means and lying in a plane transverse that of the blade, each of said guide means being defined by a pair of opposed V-shaped Ways extending the length of each of the elongated sides thereof;

(B) a pair of fore and aft stanchions, the lower end of each of said stanchions being rigidly secured to the blade, at least the upper end of each of said stanchions being hollow and internally threaded; and

(C) a pair of plug members adjustably secured to said guide means, said plug members having first and second ends, each of said plug members comprising:

(a) an elongated, transverse channel portion defined by a base wall and a pair of opposed V-shaped bearing faces extending the length thereof, said bearing faces being adapted to slidably mate with said ways of said fore and aft guide means, said channel portion being disposed at the top of said plug member, said base wall having a first elongated transverse slot defined by opposed side walls depending downwardly therefrom, the slot extending in substantially the same plane as said bearing faces,

(b) clamping means adapted to draw said opposed side walls of the first slot towards each other whereby said channel portion bearing faces are locked to said guide means bearing faces,

(c) a portion of reduced cross section positioned transversely to the longitudinal axis of said stanchion and just below the bottom end of said side walls of the first slot, said reduced cross section portion acting as a pivot point when said clamping means draw said side walls of the first slot closer to each other, and

(d) an externally threaded lower portion provided with a second slot defined by opposed side walls extending upwardly from the lowermost portion of said plug member and terminating just below said portion of reduced cross section, said second slot being at least as long as the axial length of said threaded portion, the internally threaded upper portion of said fore and aft stanchions being adapted to engage and be axially adjustable with respect to said externally threaded lower portion of said plug member whereby drawing said side walls of the first slot together causes said side walls of the second slot to move outwardly and thereby lock said plug member to said stanchion.

8. The adjustment means of claim 7 wherein each of said plug members is provided with a first threaded bore and a second bore coaxial therewith, the common axis of both of the bores being in a plane perpendicular to said side walls of the first slot in each of said plug members, the first bore being on one side of the first slot in each of said plug members and the second bore being on the opposite side of the first slot in each of said plug members, said clamping means comprising a screw extending through the second bore and engaging the threads of the first bore, the second bore being of larger size than the body diameter of said screw whereby the position of the blade may be angularly adjusted with respect to the lengthwise centerline of the shoe.

9. The adjustment means of claim 8 wherein the second bore in said stanchion is larger than the body diameter of said screw passing therethrough, the enlargement of the second bore being in at least one plane parallel to the length of said transverse guide means.

10, An improved ice skate comprising:

(A) a shoe adapted to be worn on a skaters foot;

(B) plate means attached to the underside of said shoe;

(C) elongated front and rear guide means transversely integral with the underside of said plate means, each of said guide means being defined by a pair of opposed V-shaped ways extending the length of each of the elongated sides thereof;

(D) a pair of fore and aft stanchions, at least the upper end of each of said stanchions being hollow and internally threaded;

(E) a pair of plug members having first and second ends, each of said plug members comprising:

(a) an elongated, transverse channel portion defined by a base wall and a pair of opposed V-shaped bearing faces extending the length thereof, said bearing faces being adapted to slidably mate with said ways of said fore and aft guide means, said channel portion being disposed at the top of said plug member, said base wall having a first elongated transverse slot defined by opposed side walls depending downwardly therefrom, the slot extending in substantially the same plane as said bearing faces,

(b) clamping means adapted to draw said opposed side walls of the first slot towards each other whereby said channel portion bearing faces are locked to said guide means bearing faces,

() a portion of reduced cross section positioned transversely to the longitudinal axis of said stanchion and just below the bottom end of said side walls of the first slot, said reduced cross section portion acting as a pivot point when said clamping means draw said side walls of the first slot closer to each other, and

(d) an externally threaded lower portion provided with a second slot defined by opposed side walls extending upwardly from the lowermost portion of said plug member and terminating just below said portion of reduced cross section, said second slot being at least as long as the axial length of said threaded portion, the internally threaded upper portion of said fore and aft stanchions being adapted to engage and be axially adjustable with respect to said externally threaded lower portion of said plug member whereby drawing said side walls of the first slot together causes said side walls of the second slot to move outwardly and thereby lock the threads of said plug member to the threads of said stanchion; and

(D) a skating blade rigidly secured to the lower end of said fore and aft stanchions, said blade being laterally and vertically adjustable with respect to said shoe.

11. The ice skate of claim 10 wherein each of said plug members is provided with a first threaded bore and a second bore coaxial therewith, the common axis of both of the bores being in a plane perpendicular to said side walls of the first slot in said plug member, the first bore being on one side of the first slot in said plug mem her and the second bore being on the opposite side of the first slot in said plug member, said clamping means comprising a screw extending through the second bore and engaging the threads of the first bore, the second bore being of larger size than the body diameter of said screw whereby the position of the blade may be angularly adjusted with respect to the longitudinal centerline of the shoe.

12. The ice skate of claim 11 wherein the second bore in said stanchion is larger than the body diameter of said screw passing therethrough, the enlargement of the second bore being in at least one plane parallel to the length of said transverse guide means.

13. An improved ice skate comprising:

(a) a shoe adapted to be worn on a skaters foot;

(b) plate means attached to the underside of the shoe;

(c) elongated front and rear guide means integral with the underside of the plate means, said guide means lying in a plane transverse to that of the blade and having a pair of opposed intersecting transverse bearing faces each at an angle to the plate means forming a pair of V-shaped ways;

(d) front and rear channel members having elongated and opposed transverse V-shaped bearing faces adapted to slidably mate with the said bearing faces of the said front and rear guide means respectively and attached to fore and aft stanchions;

(e) means to releasably clamp said channel members to said guide means; and

(f) a skating blade rigidly secured to the lower end of said fore and aft stanchions, said blade being laterally adjustable with respect to said shoe.

14. An improved ice skate comprising:

(a) a shoe adapted to be worn on a skaters foot;

('b) plate means attached to the underside of said shoe;

(c) a pair of elongated, transverse guide means integral with the surface of said plate means opposite said shoe, each of said guide means being defined by two pairs of opposed bearing faces each of said pairs of bearing faces being at an angle to each other, said bearing faces extending the operational length of said guide means;

(d) front and rear stanchions adjustably positioned on said guide means, each of said stanchions being provided at its upper end with a channel bearing member, each bearing member having an elongated channel defined by a pair of opposed bearing faces having the same angular relationship to each other as said bearing faces of said guide means, each of said stanchions being further provided with a transverse slot having opposed side walls extending downwardly into the body of said stanchions wherein each of said channel members is separate from said respective stanchion and wherein means are included to vary the vertical position of each of said channel members with respect to said respective stanchion, there being further included means to automatically lock each of said channel members in its vertically adjusted position concurrently with the locking of said bearing faces of said channel members about said ways of said guide means;

(e) means to releasably clamp each of said stanchions to the respective one of said guide means; and

(f) a skating blade rigidly secured to the lower end of said fore and after stanchions, said blade being laterally adjustable with respect to said shoe.

15. An improved ice skate comprising:

(a) a shoe adapted to be worn on a skaters foot;

(b) plate means attached to the underside of said shoe;

(c) a pair of elongated, transverse guide means integral with the surface of said plate means opposite said shoe, each of said guide means being defined by two pair of opposed bearing faces each of said pairs of bearing faces being at an angle to each (d) front and rear stanchions adjustably positioned on said guide means, each of said stanchions being 12 said plate means directly to said blade after said fore and aft stanchions have been laterally adjusted with respect to said shoe, the blade being provided with an upwardly and rearwardly extending front provided at its upper end with a channel bearing portion terminating in proximity to the forwardmost member, each bearing member having an elongated end of said plate means, said clamping means comchannel defined by a pair of opposed bearing faces prising in combination, a transverse V-shaped depreshaving the same angular relationship to each other sion in the forwardmost end of said plate means, a as said bearing faces of said guide means, each of transevrse mating groove in the rearwardly extending said stanchions being further provided with a transfront portion of said blade and a forwardly extending verse slot having opposed side walls extending downslot depending transversely from said transverse wardly into the 'body of said stanchions wherein blade groove, said clamping means further compriseach of said channel members is separate from said ing a screw threadably engaging the transversely respective stanchion and wherein means are included slotted portion of said blade whereby tightening to vary the vertical position of each of said channel 15 said screw will clamp the mating groove of said members with respect to said respective stanchion, blade about said V-shaped depression in said plate there being further included means to automatically means. lock each of said channel members in its vertically References Cited adjusted position concurrently with the locking of UNITED STATES PATENTS said bearing faces of said channel members about said Ways of Said guide means; 1,097,375 5/ Pierce 280-1 1-12 (e) means to releasably clamp each of said stanchions 13223313;

to the respectlve one of said guide means, 2,230,553 2/1941 weisman 80 1 2 (f) a skating blade rigidly secured to the lower end of said fore and aft stanchions, said blade being laterally adjustable with respect to said shoe; and

(g) means to rigidly clamp the forwardrnost end of BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner. 

3. ADJUSTMENT MEANS FOR AN ICE SKATE HAVING AN ELONGATED BLADE SPACEDLY DISPOSED BELOW AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE LENGTHWISE AXIS OF THE SHOE THEREOF, SAID ADJUSTMENT MEANS COMPRISING: (A) PLATE MEANS ATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SHOE; (B) ELONGATED FRONT AND REAR GUIDE MEANS INTEGRAL WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PLATE MEANS, SAID GUIDE MEANS LYING IN A PLANE TRANSVERSE TO THAT OF THE BLADE AND HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSED INTERSECTING TRANSVERSE BEARING FACES EACH AT AN ANGLE TO THE PLATE MEANS FORMING A PAIR OF V-SHAPED WAYS; (C) FRONT AND REAR CHANNEL MEMBERS HAVING ELONGATED AND OPPOSED TRANSVERSE V-SHAPED BEARING FACES ADAPTED TO SLIDABLY MATE WITH THE SAID BEARING FACES OF THE SAID FRONT AND REAR GUIDE MEANS RESPECTIVELY; AND (D) MEANS TO RELEASABLY CLAMP SAID CHANNEL MEMBERS TO SAID GUIDE MEANS. 